Have the Children Help

I hear this a lot, and the concept is legit.  It makes sense that if I can't keep up with the demands of everyday life I should recruit my children to help.  The problem is that my children themselves are already overloaded.
Long before I was a diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, I already knew there was something slowing me down, and I taught my babies early on to take care of themselves.  They learned to make their own beds when they were two years old.  I wasn't particular about hospital corners, mind you.  They put away their own clean laundry, helped wash dishes, and picked up their own toys.  When they were tall enough, they ran the vacuum cleaner, dusted furniture, and loaded the washing machine.
They're teenagers now.  Their school workloads are heavy and they have plenty of other work.  They do a lot of the cooking, most of the yard work, and all of the pet care.  My children are often called on for odd jobs or volunteer work because they are reputed responsible hard workers, and they are available during daytime hours because they are homeschool students.  Besides their studies, volunteer work, paying jobs, yard chores, and household responsibilities, I try to make time for them to spend with friends.  Teenagers need downtime, too.  And somewhere in the middle of all that, a little family time would be nice if I can be rested enough.
Incidentally, very few of those who suggest I have my children help, have offered their own services.  On the flip side, those who have extended a hand to me, have done so to my children as well.  I may be the only one in this house who's been living in adrenal fatigue, but I'm not the only one in this house who's been living with it.

One Year Later

A year after finally getting a diagnosis of adrenal exhaustion, I feel frustrated that I'm not "all better" now, but I have to look at the progress that has been made as opposed to the progress yet to be made.
               Symptoms eradicated:
     Always freezing cold
     Frequent migraines
     Chronic sinus infections and associated pain and pressure
     Recurrent cold/flu
     Narcolepsy
     Swollen feeling in the neck
     Heart palpitations
     Suffocation feeling
     Neck, back, and shoulder pain
     Brain fog
     Overwhelmed feeling
     Dizziness
     "Floaters" in vision (seeing spots)
               Symptoms gone and returned:
     Difficulty sleeping
     Aching and burning in muscles and joints
     Memory loss
               Symptoms remaining:
     Fatigue
     Constant hunger
     Frequent nausea
     Stomach cramps
     Hypoglycemia
     Acne
     Occasional shortness of breath
     Loss of muscle strength
     Eyes burning
     Hyperpigmentation (brown spots on the backs of my hands)
So really, I have a shorter distance to travel than ground I have already covered.  Along the journey has been a fascinating, enlightening, and unexpected side effect, in relationship experiences.  Mutual understanding has turned casual acquaintances into stronger friendship with people who have experienced invisible illness.  I am blessed with a strong support system, but it hasn't always come from the sources I would have expected.  As my energy levels rise ever so slowly, I have a clearer vision than ever before for prioritizing the ways in which and the people in whom I will invest that energy.